The accompanying photo was taken about 15 minutes away from my house.

I've lived in Calgary Alberta almost my whole life. As I grew up I watched the city grow to over a million people and saw the prairies become consumed by urban sprawl. I've evolved to sleep in the perpetual glow of street lights alongside the constant hum of traffic, sirens, and people yelling.

Five years ago I moved to the edge of the city thinking I'd be partially removed from the machine but it assembled around me. A lot of times change starts with an event. For me it was the realization of how fast time passes and a desire to try new experiences. All of a sudden I had a big house that was too big, in a location that had lost it's appeal, but more importantly I had an opportunity to try something different.

It started with looking at "one-day" properties and turned into me buying an acreage in the foothills near the Hamlet of Bragg Creek Alberta.

This morning as I was leaving for work I saw a Moose and her calf grazing on the edge of our land. Deer are common but I haven't seen too many Moose yet so it was special. I'm learning how to become more self-sufficient and there is a new awareness of how we interact with the world around us that's hard to come by in the city. Although I've lost certain conveniences I've gained something too, maybe it's just the tranquility getting to me, but I haven't been happier.